VikingUpdate.com Mock Draft — Round Two

Taking a shot at second-round projections in the 2005 NFL Draft is even harder, but we'll still try after researching team needs.

VikingUpdate.com
2005 Mock Draft
ROUND TWO

No.

Club

Win

Loss

Strength of Schedule

1.

San Francisco

2

14

.488

Matt Roth, DE, Iowa — There are always players who
are viewed as first-rounders that fall through the cracks. Roth will be one
of these victims. His stock has been on the rise for months after great showings
at the Combine and at the week of practice at the Senior Bowl, where he dominated
some of the top tackles in the college game. The 49ers are in big rebuilding
mode and need help in a lot of spots. Roth fits under the "best player available"
tag.

2.

Cleveland

4

12

.590

Darryl Blackstock, LB, Virginia — Romeo Crennel gave
in and took a QB with his first pick, but you knew that wouldn't last. The
Browns had awful play from their linebackers last year and need to add some
young talent to make it better. With Blackstock still on the board, Crennel
gets his first defender to mold in his own image — instead of having to share
credit with Bill Belichick.

3.

Philadelphia (from Miami)

4

12

.555

Justin Tuck, DE, Notre Dame — With their second pick
in the last five selections (if they didn't package both of them to move up
in the first round), the Eagles address one of their few problem areas. Derrick
Burgess left via free agency and Jerome McDougle is a health risk — to a lesser
extent so is Jevon Kearse. Tuck is an active player and a hard worker who
will fit right in with the Eagles — whether as a starting player or waiting
for one of the ends to go down to injury.

4.

Tampa Bay

5

11

.477

Marcus Johnson, OT, Mississippi — The Bucs offense
was anemic last year and the team is trying things to upgrade it, but it will
never be better unless there is a solid O-line to lead the way. Johnson would
be a value at this spot and, combined with the selection of Cadillac Williams
in the first round, have the Bucs looking a lot more optimistic about their
offense than they did at the end of last season.

5.

Tennessee

5

11

.512

Reggie Brown, WR, Georgia — The Titans went cornerback
on the first round, but Steve McNair needs help on the offensive side with
the loss of Derrick Mason to free agency. Brown is a player that can come
in and contribute immediately and, while he doesn't have the flash of a Braylon
Edwards or the size of a Mike Williams, he can do a solid job of getting open
and giving McNair a viable passing option.

6.

NY Jets (from Oakland)

5

11

.570

Corey Webster, CB, LSU — The Jets traded out of the
first round to set themselves up with more picks and, if the Steelers didn't
take Heath Miller in the first round, they might jump on him despite getting
Doug Jolley in the deal. But, with Miller gone, the Jets go after the player
they believe can make the most immediate impact and, in a draft deep in CB
talent, Webster is a pick that makes sense and fills a void.

7.

Chicago

5

11

.465

Odell Thurman, LB, Georgia — The Bears are going to
be trash talking if the draft falls this way. First they get a game-breaking
wide receiver in Braylon Edwards and now defensive playmaker to line up next
to Brian Urlacher. Thurman is a pure linebacker who can cause a lot of havoc
and make a unit that has lost a lot of talent in recent years a lot stronger.

8.

New Orleans (from Washington)

6

10

.477

Anttaj Hawthorne, DT, Wisconsin — The Saints have
very good defensive ends, but need help in the middle of the defensive line.
Hawthorne is a 325-pound run stuffer who can force teams to double-team him
in the middle and open up even more things for the defensive ends. With a
Saints team that needs plenty of defensive help, adding pieces like S/LB Thomas
Davis and Hawthorne can plug a lot of the holes that have existed the last
couple of seasons.

9.

Detroit

6

10

.496

Adam Terry, OT, Syracuse — The Lions went defense
on their first pick of the draft and follow it up with the glaring need at
offensive tackle. With all the talent the team has amassed in the last three
years on offense, the O-line needs to be better for the Lions to continue
their rise to respectability. Terry will give them a guy they can plug in
immediately and hopefully keep him there for a decade — perhaps long after
Mooch and Millen are gone.

10.

Dallas

6

10

.516

Brodney Pool, S, Oklahoma — If (and it's a big if)
the Cowboys held on to their two first-round picks, they have Shawne Merriman
and Mark Clayton already in the fold — addressing two pressing needs. Some
contend that Pool is the best safety in the draft and, teamed with Roy Williams,
could arguably give the Cowboys the best young safety tandem in the NFL. Bill
Parcells loves his defense, and nobody could blame him for stocking up at
a position when the getting is good.

11.

N.Y. Giants

6

10

.516

Eric Green, CB, Virginia Tech — Because of the Eli
Manning trade last year, this is the first we've heard of the G-Men in this
draft. Despite a flurry of cornerbacks to go off the board, this is an area
of vital need — especially seeing as the teams in their division are all targeting
wide receivers in the draft. This may be a little bit of a reach, but their
hand has been forced.

12.

Arizona

6

10

.461

Bryant McFadden, CB, Florida State — The run on CBs
continues. This pick, of course, is predicated on the Cardinals taking Cedric
Benson on the first round and letting CB slide. Arizona had bad corners last
year and trading away Duane Starks made a position of weakness a position
of need. While they would likely prefer the two teams in front of them to
go elsewhere than corner, even if the run lays out as we have scripted, there's
almost no chance they can wait another round without addressing this gaping
hole in the defense.

13.

Carolina

7

9

.508

Chris Spencer, C, Mississippi — The rebuilding of
the Panthers offense continues. After taking a speed receiver in the first
round, the Panthers have a shot at the best center in the draft and what some
believe may be the best center in years to come into a draft. He has slid
into the second round because of teams with needs elsewhere and would be a
gift at this spot for the Panthers.

14.

Miami (from Kansas City)

7

9

.551

Barrett Ruud, LB, Nebraska — The conventional wisdom
might be that the Dolphins would go after a cornerback to replace Patrick
Surtain — for whom they got this pick. But, with the run on CBs since the
middle of the first round, the depth has been tapped at that position while
others are much less sullied. Ruud is a great athlete who can fill in at linebacker,
replacing Junior Seau, and allow a defense that wasn't all that bad last year
to get at least one breath of life early in the draft.

15.

Oakland (from Houston)

7

9

.504

J.J. Arrington, RB, California — Lamont Jordan has
been brought in to be a 20-carry-a-game guy to keep defenses honest and open
things up for Randy Moss and Jerry Porter. But, Jordan is a north-south runner
who isn't a threat to rip off an 80-yard run for a TD. Arrington is one of
those backs and would be an ideal change-of-pace type to spell Jordan — who
has never played a full season as a full-time back. Norv Turner likes the
smashmouth game, but to a certain extent. Arrington is a breakaway threat
Al Davis has always been fond of and, on draft day, Al has the last word.

16.

Cincinnati

8

8

.543

David Baas, C/G, Michigan — The Bengals have a few
needs, but tops among them is center. Rich Braham has been decent, but he's
35 and new blood is needed. Bass could play a year at guard if needed or be
groomed as Braham's replacement. He has the talent to push for a starting
job immediately and be a fixture for the next decade.

17.

Minnesota

8

8

.480

Mike Nugent, K, Ohio State — Tie up Scott Studwell
before this pick is announced. There are several ways the Vikings could go
with this pick — primary among them offensive line or linebacker — but special
teams remains the one area the Vikings have completely failed to address in
the offseason. This may be a little too high to take a kicker, but he won't
make it past some of the weaker teams in the third round who have a kicker
need too. Stud may not like it. We're not jumping up and down about it. But,
it's a pick that needs to be made.

18.

St. Louis

8

8

.488

Josh Bullocks, S, Nebraska — The Rams safeties were
a mess last year between injuries and aging veterans. They need an infusion
of youth in the position, and Bullocks brings them a big hitter who can help
out a unit that was a low-point and a sore spot for the Rams a year ago.

19.

Green Bay (from New Orleans)

8

8

.465

Jason Campbell, QB, Auburn — This is a difficult pick
for a couple of reasons. We've heard that the Packer like Kyle Orton, who
would be available much later than this. We've also heard that the best thing
Campbell had going for him was turning around and handing the ball to Cadillac
Williams and Ronnie Brown. But, his stock is on the rise and the Packers need
to face the fact that Brett Favre has threatened retirement that last two
years. The third time will be the charm and they need someone to be groomed
for when that day comes.

20.

Jacksonville

9

7

.527

Marion Barber, RB, Minnesota — The Jags have tried
to get a replacement for Fragile Fred Taylor for the last two or three years
with spotty results. The biggest problem is that they have brought in low-rent
Taylor clones. Barber is a hard-running slasher that can spell Taylor and,
if need be, step in to be a 20-carry guy on those weeks when Fred just can't
go. This pick could go several ways, but every time Taylor has been hurt,
the Jags offense has suffered. Barber could help ease some of that pain.

21.

Baltimore

9

7

.551

Roscoe Parrish, WR, Miami — The team addressed defense
with its first pick, but now needs to once again replace a wide receiver lost
to the Vikings. Parrish is very small, but has great speed and can stretch
a defense for long passes, as well as open up the intermediate zone for Derrick
Mason and tight end Todd Heap. His speed could also reduce how many times
defenses stack the box to stuff Jamal Lewis, which would make the entire offense
better.

22.

Seattle

9

7

.445

Kevin Burnett, LB, Tennessee — The Seattle defense
is in full overhaul mode and Chad Brown is likely to be cut for cap reasons.
Getting a replacement with good credentials is a must and Burnett is rated
by some as one of the best pure linebackers in the draft — making him an ideal
fit for an organization that needs to trim some salaries and remain the top
dog in its division.

23.

Buffalo

9

7

.512

Richie Icognito, C, Nebraska — Icognito is a problem
child that got thrown off the Nebraska team a year ago and failed in a bid
to transfer to Oregon State. He's had a lot of off-field issues that have
dropped his stock dramatically, but, after giving up their first-round pick
to Dallas in trade last year, he is a player that has Pro Bowl potential if
he can be handled properly. The Bills surprised people by taking Willis McGahee,
so Icognito would fit into that same mindset of taking a player with a big
upside regardless of his downside.There are some who are convinced Icognito
won't go until the second day, but many of those same people said that McGahee
wouldn't go until the second or third round — and Buffalo proved them wrong
in that instance too.

24.

Denver

10

6

.484

Vincent Jackson, WR, Northern Colorado — A local college
product who has great size at 6-4 and would be an ideal fit for the role in
the Broncos offense manned so ably over the year by Ed McCaffrey — a big possession
receiver who moves the chains and opens things up for big-play receivers Ashley
Lelie and Rod Smith. Mike Shanahan made his feelings clear about the crop
in this year's draft by trading out of the first round to get another first-rounder
in 2006. If you've come into a draft giving up on the talent level, taking
a risk-reward pick on someone like Jackson doesn't seem like that much of
a stretch.

25.

NY Jets

10

6

.523

Alex Smith, TE, Stanford — The Jets traded out of
the first round and, in doing so, missed out on Heath Miller and accepted
veteran Doug Jolley. That doesn't mean they're married to him. They made a
strong RFA push for Jeb Putzier of Denver — only to have the Broncos match.
Smith is a guy who can stretch the field and has the luxury of learning behind
Jolley and being used as an offensive weapon right away. To some, this pick
doesn't make sense. But to others, it's the answer to the same question as
to why the Vikings signed Jermaine Wiggins when they already had Jim Kleinsasser.
They do different things well.

26.

Green Bay

10

6

.457

Evan Mathis, G, Alabama — While they took the QB of
the future six picks earlier, they still have Brett Favre as the QB of the
present. But, he is missing both of his starting guards from the last several
years — both part of a payroll purge that backfired big time when they both
signed away within 24 hours of being released. Replacements are needed and
Mathis looks NFL-ready. For Favre's sake, he better be.

27.

Atlanta

11

5

.434

Vincent Fuller, S, Virginia Tech — This could easily
go the way of wide receiver to give Michael Vick another weapon, but the defense
that got Atlanta to the top last year is only a couple of component parts
away from making a legitimate Super Bowl run this year. Having added a versatile
lineman in Shaun Cody in the first round, Fuller is a playmaker at safety
who can team with DeAngelo Hall to give the Falcons one of the best young
secondaries in the NFC.

28.

Indianapolis

12

4

.500

Mike Patterson, DT, USC — The only things keeping
the Colts out of the Super Bowl the last couple of years have been the Patriots
and an awful defense. The offense remains steady and intact, but the defense
needs to keep building. Patterson is a solid run stopper who can be disruptive
and can help take constant double teams away from Dwight Freeney — which could
open up the entire Colts defense for big plays that were sorely lacking the
last couple of years.

29.

San Diego

12

4

.477

Terrence Murphy, WR, Texas A&M — The Chargers have
tried many times in many ways to improve their pass offense, but with the
exception of unknown-turned-superstar Antonio Gates, it has been with mixed
results. Murphy has good size and speed and will be critical to taking the
heat off of Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson and could give the Chargers offense
another weapon for opponents to deal with. If the Chargers used either of
their first-round picks to address wide receiver, obviously they will go in
a different direction. But other needs combined with the availability of top
players at that position precluded taking pressure off Tomlinson. If Murphy
can stretch the field on a regular basis, he's done his job.

30.

Pittsburgh

15

1

.484

Chris Canty, DE, Virginia — The Steelers opened up
their offense with their first pick. Now it's time for Bill Cowher to pluck
a defender he can plug into his scheme to provide a pass rush threat. Canty
can give the defensive front a change of pace — whether full-time or part-time
— and be a piece to the new-look Steelers puzzle.

31.

Philadelphia

13

3

.453

Ciatrick Fason, RB, Florida — Brian Westbrook has
earned his starting spot, but neither he nor Correll Buckhalter can provide
what Fason does — a 210-pounder who can grind out the tough yards when the
teams need a yard for a first down or a first down to wear down the clock.
There are a couple of different teams dealing with the perceived success of
Fason, but he fills a void in the Eagles backfield that people like Dorsey
Levens could no longer handle.

32.

New England

14

2

.492

Elton Brown, G, Oregon State — Some
scouts grade Brown out as the best guard prospect in the draft. The Patriots
need some help on the interior offensive line, since their bread and butter
last year was putting games away in the second half pounding Corey Dillon at
opponents. Brown is huge (if the Vikings hadn't taken Mike Nugent, we would
have Brown in purple and gold) and can step into a team that defines roles
and excels.